LeaderImpact Podcast

We sit down with Chanelle Chalazan, the teen entrepreneur behind Chic and Charmed Boutique, to unpack how a business that started with a simple idea at 13 grew into a fast-moving Canadian jewelry brand with trade shows across the country, major media features, and a clear product promise: affordable crystal ball jewelry and waterproof 0.925 sterling silver pieces that customers can actually wear every day. 

Chanelle also shares what it feels like to be young in adult rooms, including the moment a billboard rep called her dad to confirm she was legit, and how she’s learned to turn her age into an advantage instead of a limit. We explore the practical role of faith and hope in her mindset, plus what she wants older generations to understand about Gen Z ambition and work ethic. 

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

Money is rarely the hardest part of succession planning. The hardest part is what money changes inside a family: identity, belonging, power, and the old hurts nobody wants to name. Trudy Pelletier of the Family Stewardship Group talks about what really happens when families turn toward continuity, wealth transfer, and multi-generational planning and why the relationships at the center can get complicated fast.

We dig into practical family governance ideas like shared purpose, clear decision-making processes, and rebuilding trust without blowing up the planning already underway with advisors. Along the way, she shares the phrase that sticks out the most: “emotions make smart people stupid,” and what it takes to shift from reaction to responsible response.

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

A championship is fun, but it is a terrible finish line. Coach Shane Sowden unpacks what actually changes teams and organizations: not louder speeches, but clearer values, healthier rhythms, and leadership you can trust day after day.

We get practical about leadership development and mental health, especially for men who carry pressure in silence. Shane shares why “invest in yourself” is not selfish; it is stewardship: Scripture, prayer, fitness, and honest self-awareness that keeps burnout from setting the agenda. 

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

Diana Palacio grew up in Latin America, moved to the United States for university, and immigrated to Canada as a young newlywed, trying to break into the job market without “Canadian experience.” She shares why pursuing an MBA became a pivotal career development decision, how her years in consumer packaged goods shaped her approach to classic marketing strategy, and why the most difficult transition wasn’t professional at all; it was internal. Leaving corporate titles for consulting forced an ego check, a rework of identity, and a new definition of sustainable success and work-life balance.

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

We sit down with Melissa Harris-Allen, a retail sales manager and emerging leader, to unpack how a post-maternity leave “in-charge” role became her turning point and why the skills built in motherhood can strengthen empathy, composure, and people-first leadership at work.

Melissa shares what she had to unlearn, how mentors created a safe space to learn without judgment, and why self-grace matters when you are growing into responsibility. We also talk about practical leadership development habits like reflection, asking for feedback, and treating unexpected feedback as a gift instead of a threat.

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

Leadership rarely breaks because we lack information. It breaks because we forget the human in front of us. Justin Simpkins joins us with a simple conviction that keeps cutting through the noise: lead with heart and the rest follows. 

Justin shares how character and teachability can matter more than credentials, and how a growth mindset turns unfamiliar work into a calling. 

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

What happens when a season ends and you’re left asking the question so many leaders face: Now what? Jacqueline Clements shares how her path moved from performing on stage as a child, to years of focused motherhood and homeschooling, to stepping back into media and producing purpose-driven storytelling with her husband through major shifts like COVID.

We dig into the leadership practices that made that reinvention possible. Jacqueline breaks down why she chooses to lead with intention rather than impulse, how kindness sets you apart in an unkind world, and why deep listening is one of the most practical leadership skills we can build. We also get candid about failure, pride, and the moment you realize you walked into rooms with the wrong posture, then the long work of becoming grounded and humble again.

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

One brave ask can change a career, and one heavy loss can make you question who you even are. We sit down with Mary Elizabeth Murphy, CEO of Star Resources and author of Reset Your Buttons, to talk about both sides of that reality and what it takes to lead through it. Mary Elizabeth has spent decades in training and development, team dynamics, and workplace leadership, but her story starts with a moment many professionals recognize: layoffs, uncertainty, and that uncomfortable decision to reach out for guidance.

We dig into how mentorship actually works in real life, how the “wrong” person can still be the right connector, and why leadership often finds you before you feel ready. The conversation turns deeply personal as she describes grief after losing her best friend to ovarian cancer and how faith and community helped her find her legs again. 

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

Your job title can be taken away in a moment and that’s when the real leadership questions get loud. Michelle McCone Campbell, a speaker, author, and employee re-engagement specialist, joins us to talk about what happened when she moved from England to the United States and couldn’t work for years due to visa restrictions. What sounds like a career setback becomes a turning point: identity gets rebuilt, confidence gets re-learned, and a new mission takes shape around helping people reconnect with the value they already carry.

The conversation goes deeper into vulnerability and the fear of being seen. Michelle describes how what looks like fear of failure can actually be fear of success and how that shows up as box-ticking, playing small, and staying in the “shell.” 

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!

A side hustle you try “for two weeks” is not supposed to rewrite your life, but that’s exactly what happens for Corliss Rassyle. We sit down with the Canadian speaker, success principles coach, and founder behind Lead Conference Canada to unpack the real leadership journey behind the highlight reel: the doubts, the pivots, the hard seasons, and the moments where faith and purpose finally click into focus.

Corliss talks about the success principle that still guides her leadership mindset: we are not always responsible for what happens, but we are responsible for what we do with what does.

Thanks for listening!

Click here to take the LeaderImpact Assessment and to receive the first chapter of Becoming a Leader of Impact by Braden Douglas.

Remember, impact starts with you!